Slornow and Wannabefaster's mentor group...Closed (Page 47)

Hello all. I have been MIA for quite awhile and have been focusing all of my extra time on final training for Barrelman this past weekend.

Barrelman was amazing and I have nothing but great things to say about John Salt and Multisport Canada. They really pulled off a world class event. 

I plan to write up a report while the race is still fresh in my mind, but the following is a summary of some of the highlghts:

• Swim was slow and I was probably too conservative in my pacing, but my thinking was that I’d rather leave a bit of time on the table for the swim than risk going out too hard and having a lousy start to the race.  39:53 for 31^st in my age group.

• I’ve only done 2 Olympics and so had no idea how I’d feel for 90 kms on the bike.  I think my FTP is in the 270 range but didn’t want to be too aggressive. I was targeting to average between 205 and 215 watts and ended up with an AP of 210 and an NP of 214. There was a tailwind for more than half of the bike course and so that helped push me to a 2:22:38 bike split. Managed to pass a lot of people in my age group and was sitting in 6^th after the bike.

• I definitely underestimated the run.  It was a hot afternoon and the course is quite hilly. At around 11 kms it got ugly and I seriously doubted that I could finish without walking, but I had my family cheering me on and caught a second wind at around the 14 km mark. Based on my open HM times, going into the race I thought I would be able to hold a 4:30/km pace, but quickly realized that was not going to happen. First loop average was 4:35/km and the second loop dropped to 4:54/km for a run split of 1:39:35. I don’t think I overbiked and felt good about my nutrition. Possibly dehydrated but more likely it was just my run fitness and I should have spent more time on the treadmill.

• Total time was 4:45:45 for 39^th overall and 2^nd in my age group which I was not expecting.

They announced that they had more than 800 registrants on Sunday (for all the events) which makes it the largest non-Ironman branded 70.3 in North America.

I highly recommend this race to anyone within driving distance of Niagara Falls. At around $250 CDN its a bargain, particularly for you folks in the U.S.

Scott

Glad you enjoyed it Scott!  I really wish I had been able to go this year but it just didn't work out.

Nicely done Scott - really solid time for your first crack at that distance.

Arend - I believe that they changed the swim location from the year you raced Barrelman.  Its at the Welland Flatwater Centre now which is a great venue.  Lots of room for family to watch the start of the race. Too bad they took out the underwater guy wires for the season - it would have made spotting a breeze.

Thanks Neil.  Its funny, during the run I remember vividly thinking that there is no @#$%ing way I'm ever doing this again.  Now that its been a few days and the aches and pains are slowly fading, it didn't seem that bad.  I'm sure in another week I'll be looking at the race schedule for next hear to plan the next one.

Jason is doing IM Chattanooga.  Good swim at 1:03.  Solid start on the bike but looks like he must have had some issues during the second split as it shows 11mph for about 6.5 miles.  Maybe a flat.....hope it is nothing more serious.

Update?

Texted with Jason yesterday afternoon.  He had a couple of flats and other issues on the bike.  Pulled the plug before running marathon in 95+ degree heat.  I will let him elaborate if he wishes.

I know a bunch of people that did IM Chattanooga yesterday as well as folks doing August 70.3.  Record heat made times slow and conditions oppressive.  Looking at the numbers it looks like their were a lot of "DNF" at both races.

Saw some posts on ST yesterday saying the same thing - miserable conditions when it gets to be that hot, and I tip my hat to anyone able to manage in those conditions.  In some (many?) cases I think it becomes unsafe.

I pulled the plug on Coeur d'Alene last year.  I do pretty well in hot races but that forecast (~110+) was unsafe.  I went to the start line and waited to see if they would shorten it to a half.  They didn't, so I took a DNS and went off to find some air conditioning.  No regrets.

I don't do well in heat, but if this was a first IM (like I'm sure it was for many out there) I would have a very hard time pulling the plug and playing it safe.  For those who have the IM experience and know they'll be other ones I think it is easier to appreciate the time invested will go towards another race at another time - takes some strong self reflection to give up months of training and know you're making the right call.  Like I said, I'd be really torn.

I also read humidity was in the high 80s and that there was no shade for the first 4 miles of the run.  That is just crazy. 

My hat is off to Jason for even finishing the bike in those conditions.  I don't think I could stay hydrated in that heat.

For me, maybe it was easier since it was a DNS.  I knew in the back of my head if I started that race, I'd easily finish the swim, get into a nice bike rhythm... and then find that it was 200 degrees out during the last 2 hours of the bike.  But at that point it would be hard to walk off.

It wasn't my first IM, and also from a medical standpoint it isn't good for me to get dehydrated (blood clot risk).  So I made the call.  Don't beat yourself up too much.  There will be other races, and the money lost is just an annoyance.  I *always* try to listen to that little voice in the back of my head.  It has served me well.  You may also see that point of view after a step back from the race day feelings - I hope.

Jason, I feel your pain to a certain degree.  I pulled out of a 70.3 earlier in the summer due to back pain on the bike and knowing I would probably hurt myself if I tried to finish the run.  Since then I have questioned my decision many times (although it doesn't keep me up at night).  I've had to keep telling myself to just let it go.  I suspect, like you, that I won't be able to pull the plug quite so easily should I find myself in that situation again.

Jason...don't beat yourself up.  You made a choice based on what you wanted to do at the time and while I know Ironman isn't supposed to be easy, it also should be something we enjoy.  There will be other races and I'm sure your family loves you all the same.

On another note, my replacement Quarq dzero has just come in.  Got it installed and am anxious to see how the move from 172.5 to 165 feels.  Which reminds me...I need to adjust my seat a little.  

So, what's the verdict?

PM seems to be working like normal...bluetooth connectivity to the Qualvin app for updates and diagnostics (such as battery level) is much better than trying to use a ANT+ dongle for my iphone.  Also might experiment with Zwift once the ipad app gets released (or if I'm approved for beta testing).  My laptop is pretty old and doesn't have a good enough graphics card to run zwift.  I know I'm anti trainer...but I've always been curious about the social portion of it.

As far as the crank length...I could tell the difference in feel, but with such a small sample size I don't know for sure if it will actually be a benefit or not.  I did notice that my "pseudo balance" is pretty close to 50/50, with slight variations between 49/51 to 51/49...at least for this commute anyway.

Same here.

Did a 2 hour group ride and I actually like the shorter cranks.  Honestly, I think I could go a lot shorter given how short my legs are.  172.5 is way too long for me.  Sprinting felt a lot better as I don't need to thrash my bike side to side as much to stay on top of the pedals.  I do think I lose a little on the very top end (under 5 seconds) simply due to leverage, but it seems I can hold power in that 10-20 second range without feeling sloppy.  I did have a couple of drop outs which looks like it was due to cadence not being picked up...so I'll have to keep an eye on it.

First CX race of the year was on Sunday - lots of fun but completely wrecked me.  V02max, recover, V02max, recover... for 45 mins.  Such a different race than riding on the road.  I raced against a lot of the same guys that I can hang with on the road but am in a different timezone for cross.  I think my biggest problem is I corner like an aircraft carrier.  

I really have fun doing it though and I get a bit better at it every time.  Next race isn't for a few weeks so I might actually practice beforehand for once!